There are plenty of possibilities to broadcast your music live to your community. Among the most popular platforms, you’ll find: Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, or even Instagram.
Which platform should you choose?
It seems logical to opt for the platform where you have the most followers, the one where you get the most engagement from your community. However, live streaming on the internet, like any form of broadcasting, is governed by copyright laws, which vary by region. Each platform may or may not have agreements for broadcasting protected works with the organizations managing the rights to these works.
On top of that, audience habits, your choices, and the goals you’ve set come into play. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do you want to build a community around your music by allowing interaction?
- Do you want to stream regularly? Or is it for a one-time event?
- Do you want to perform or share original compositions, covers, and/or chat with your community?
- Would you like to charge for access to your performance? Or receive donations?
- Are you going to stream only music or other passions (gaming, cooking, etc.)?
If you have doubts about live streaming, we’ve written an introductory article explaining what live streaming is and how it can benefit any musician.
Each platform has its advantages and disadvantages. You need to find the one that best suits your expectations and needs.
Platform Comparison
| Twitch | Facebook Live | Youtube Live | Stage It | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated monetization options | Subscriptions, Donations, Twitch Affiliation (available under conditions) | None. Donations are possible but not integrated by Facebook. You need a third-party app. | None. Donations are possible but difficult to implement. You’d need to mention it between songs and find a simple way for people to donate. | Monetization, Donations, Subscriptions | Paid tickets and donations (80% of revenue is paid out) |
| Streamable from PC and phone | Yes, you can start your stream from the mobile app or dedicated software like OBS. | Yes, you can start your stream from the mobile app, website, or dedicated software like OBS. | Mobile app only | Yes, you can start your stream from the mobile app, website, or dedicated software like OBS. | Yes, you can start your stream from the mobile app, website, or dedicated software like OBS. |
| Interaction with viewers | Chat, notifications, emotes, bots, special commands, etc. | Chat, notifications, emotes, bots, special commands, etc. | Chat only | Chat, notifications, emotes, bots, special commands, etc. | Chat, notifications, emotes, bots, special commands, etc. |
| VOD | Yes, but beware of DMCA claims. | Yes, but beware of copyright compliance. | No, unless you save the performance as an IGTV video. Beware of copyright compliance! | Yes, but beware of copyright compliance. | No, there’s no saving of your live streams. |
Twitch
| Twitch | |
|---|---|
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Currently the most suitable platform. Less competition than YouTube, so your channel can grow faster if you offer high-quality streams. Compatible with dedicated streaming software (OBS, XSplit, etc.). Integrated revenue options. |
DMCA complaints. Takes some time to customize your channel if you use streaming software. You often start from scratch (new platform, so zero subscribers). |
| In our opinion, the best platform right now if you want to commit long-term. Ideal for high-quality video and audio streams where you can interact with viewers, with monetization possibilities through donations and subscriptions. However, be cautious about respecting the DMCA! Thanks to stream categorization, Twitch is also the perfect platform to broadcast gaming, music, or cooking recipes on the same channel! | |
Facebook Live
| Facebook Live | |
|---|---|
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Every musician or band has a Facebook page with followers and a personal account with a list of friends ready to participate, simplifying the promotion of your stream to your community. Compatible with dedicated streaming software. Interaction with viewers is possible. Very easy to start a live stream with your phone (beware, the audio quality from a phone is often poor, and in music, sound is key to your success). |
Beware of DMCA. Takes some time to create templates if you use third-party software. Hard to stand out and be naturally visible since there are no categories for discoverability. If no one shares your live stream, it won’t be seen (except by followers). No integrated monetization. |
| The ideal platform if you have an active Facebook page with a supportive community and friends. Shares from your fans and friends will inevitably drive traffic and audience. Also great for occasional streams. You’ll face blocking issues if you use backing tracks. If the backing track or cover is identified by Facebook, your stream will be cut off. | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Every musician or band has an account with followers. Very easy to start a live stream with your phone (beware, the audio quality from a phone is often poor, and in music, sound is key to your success). |
Beware of DMCA. No high-quality streaming with dedicated software. Very hard to be naturally visible. If no one shares your live stream, it won’t be seen (except by followers). No integrated monetization. Difficult to do long streams, as Instagram is a mobile app and phones aren’t well-suited for long formats. |
| Instagram Live is mainly for musicians with an active community on the platform. Live streams are generally short (3 to 15 minutes). It’s a good option for an impromptu stream but not ideal if you want to receive donations. | |
Youtube Live
| YouTube Live | |
|---|---|
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| High-quality video and audio (4K possible). Suitable for both long and short streaming formats. Compatible with dedicated streaming software and works perfectly with a mobile phone. Monetization options available. |
Most musicians’ YouTube channels don’t have hundreds of subscribers. The platform is mainly known for on-demand content, not live streaming. You need a communication campaign before your stream to attract viewers. Beware of DMCA. Impossible to be naturally visible. If no one follows your channel or shares your live stream on other networks, you’ll be invisible. Mobile streaming limitations if you have fewer than 1,000 subscribers. |
| For live streaming, the platform is interesting if you have a large YouTube channel or for very special occasions (album launch, special concert, etc.). Beware of DMCA; for live streaming, blocking is immediate if you broadcast copyrighted songs. | |
StageIt
| StageIt | |
|---|---|
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| The most suitable platform for paid concerts (viewers pay a ticket to watch your performance). Compatible with dedicated streaming software. Integrated revenue options and paid tickets for viewers. No DMCA issues since StageIt holds licenses. |
Platform largely unknown to the public. Hard to gain visibility without significant prior promotion. |
| StageIt is a great alternative to the other platforms. It’s ideal for special events (album launch, duo concert, etc.). Entry is paid for each viewer. You set the ticket price for your performance, and 80% of the revenue is paid directly to you. No worries about DMCA or copyright since StageIt handles everything. | |
Copyright compliance and disputes
When you start live streaming, don’t think that copyright laws will vanish. Be very careful about these rights! For several months, Twitch has launched a widespread “campaign around respecting copyright and intellectual property.” It wasn’t exactly an informative campaign but rather a series of automatic warnings for DMCA non-compliance.
The DMCA, or Digital Millennium Copyright Act, is a U.S. law establishing legislation around intellectual property in the digital age.
It exempts online service providers from liability if they promptly remove copyrighted content posted by their users. Starting in 2020, Twitch received a massive number of complaints from major labels and rights management organizations regarding DMCA non-compliance for music.
This campaign is still ongoing, and warning emails are still being sent to streamers. The goal is to make it clear that using protected content, especially music, is regulated!
Every streamer can receive a DMCA violation notification. Three notifications are tolerated; beyond that, Twitch threatens to shut down the channel. So far, very few channels have been closed.
Your frustration and confusion with recent music-related copyright issues is completely justified. Things can–and should–be better for creators than they have been recently. The next few tweets will outline our plan for being better partners to creators. https://t.co/Ebk1rFlBOM pic.twitter.com/fiFitaZgD5
— Twitch (@Twitch) November 11, 2020
At the same time, no one wants to lose months of investment in growing their audience. So, naturally, every streamer strives to comply with these rules.
Copyright vs. Neighboring Rights vs. Copyright
In France and Europe, copyright protects creators of original works. Neighboring rights are similar to copyright in the privileges they grant, but they protect the artistic or financial contributions added to a creation (performer, artist, producer, etc.).
This type of right is completely different from the Anglo-Saxon Copyright used, notably, in the United States. Copyright protects the exploitation of a work for a set period. It defines the right to exploit the work for a duration and does not directly protect the work’s creator.
When using platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch, you’re broadcasting content, and you must be absolutely certain you have the right to share it. All platforms consider it your responsibility to know whether you can broadcast that content. Let’s analyze the possibilities offered by the most popular platforms today.
On Twitch
Let’s return to Twitch and its major campaign on DMCA compliance. After several months, what do we really know? Not much… The campaign feels like a measure to tell everyone: “Warning, you’re using protected music, stop everything, or we’ll delete your channel.”
DMCA non-compliance notifications were numerous for months, and some streamers are still receiving them! Everyone has understood that they need to stop using protected content.
Users got scared of losing their Twitch channel and completely stopped broadcasting protected music. This, ultimately, had the intended effect. This naturally raises the question for musicians and singers streaming: What are they allowed to play, sing, and broadcast on their channel?
What Twitch says
We tried to understand what Twitch advises today. It’s pretty vague! Here’s what Twitch mentions in its music guidelines:
Here are a few examples of types of music content you may not use in Twitch streams or on-demand content:
- Karaoke – Singing along to a karaoke recording other than performances in a karaoke game for which you have a license to share on Twitch.
- Lip-syncing – Singing or pretending to sing to music that doesn’t belong to you or for which you don’t have a license to share on Twitch.
- Visual representation of music – Lyrics, sheet music, tablature, or any other visual representation of copyrighted music tracks other than those you own or for which you have a license to share on Twitch.
- Covers – Covers of a song belonging to someone else, except for live performances on your Twitch stream. If you perform a cover live on a Twitch stream, try as much as possible to perform the song as it was written by the author and create all sound elements yourself, without incorporating instrumental tracks, music recordings, or other recorded elements belonging to others.
If you want to read their full music guidelines, it’s here. Here’s also a short tweet summarizing what’s recommended, what to avoid, and the risks involved.
The text might seem clear, but as usual, everything is open to interpretation. Take the verb used in the paragraph: interpret. In the dictionary, “interpret” can mean: “To perform (a work) in a way that expresses its content (play, sonata, etc.).”
We considered contacting Twitch directly to clarify what was written, but it’s impossible to discuss DMCA through their contact form. Selecting the DMCA category redirects you to their DMCA information page. So, we decided to ask musicians with Twitch channels directly.
Still confused about DMCA and how to safely navigate music and streaming?
This should help: pic.twitter.com/EyLPrhVV9X
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) June 9, 2021
What musician streamers say
We browsed French and English music channels, asking streamers: “As a musician (or singer, or DJ, depending on the case), how do you handle broadcasting tracks and the DMCA?”
First response from a DJ, who, while continuing to mix non-royalty-free music, shouted into his microphone: “We don’t care about DMCA!!!!” Okay, so on this channel, the person doesn’t care about DMCA and keeps mixing without a second thought.
Second attempt on a channel where a guitarist was playing tracks with a backing track. At the end of his song, he took the time to respond and said: “I keep playing with backing tracks, and I’ve never received any warnings from Twitch.”
Third attempt with a pianist covering famous songs with or without backing tracks. He was much more detailed and explained: “If you do covers, it’s fine! Unless you show the actual YouTube video. But if you just use the audio from YouTube, there’s no problem. Twitch doesn’t cut my stream even if I play protected music. Otherwise, we couldn’t make music, and the Music category (on Twitch) wouldn’t exist. Basically, there’s no censorship for musicians. But I’ve disabled VODs.”
It seems there’s a certain tolerance for musicians and DJs. As long as they perform the song in their own way and the protected music isn’t played on its own, and as long as the video isn’t visible on screen, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. In reality, as mentioned in the guidelines, this doesn’t comply with DMCA. But it’s hard for majors to file DMCA complaints if the broadcast is no longer available! They use VODs to prove non-compliance with the rights they own. Without a video, the complaint is hard to uphold.
We asked a few streamers we personally know who are Twitch affiliates or partners. They have a privileged relationship with Twitch staff. These Twitch representatives advised them to delete all VODs and clips (video on demand or replay videos) containing covers and backing tracks to avoid DMCA complaints. They also suggested disabling VODs and, obviously, not creating clips. As of now, there doesn’t seem to be any risk for live broadcasts.
Obviously, the best solution is to play original compositions! Many musicians perform their own works. However, it’s challenging to have a varied setlist with personal compositions for weekly multi-hour sessions. It’s not very engaging or rewarding to play the same 15 songs all evening.
Another solution is to play music without copyright, meaning no DMCA! To find DMCA-free music, we suggest checking out Harris Heller, who also operates under the name StreamBeats. There’s also Pretzel Rocks, which offers tracks, or Epidemic Sound, a platform widely used by YouTubers. Sure, you’ll need to explore the tracks available on these platforms, select them, and learn them to perform or accompany them. If you’re a master of improvisation, make a shortlist and feel free to improvise on these tracks without risk.
On YouTube
A few years ago, YouTube faced a similar situation. The platform didn’t have the rights to broadcast well-known tracks. For years, uploading a video on YouTube with a copyrighted music track meant having the video removed or the audio completely muted by YouTube! Music majors had banded together to force YouTube to negotiate with them for the authorization of their artists’ tracks.
It was critical for YouTube to find a compromise with them; the platform’s survival was at stake.
An agreement was eventually reached between the parties. That’s why it’s now possible on YouTube to upload a video containing a copyrighted track. Any audio track identified by YouTube is listed in the video’s description, and a financial royalty is paid per view. YouTube thus has contracts for on-demand broadcasts (not live) allowing its users to use copyrighted tracks.
Unfortunately, these contracts don’t currently apply to live broadcasts…
YouTube specifies in its help pages:
All live streams are scanned to allow the system to detect possible matches with third-party content, including other live broadcasts and copyrighted content.
If such content is identified, a static image may replace your live stream. You’ll receive a warning asking you to stop broadcasting the third-party content. If you comply with the warning and fix the issues, your stream can continue.
If you keep third-party content in your live stream, it will be suspended or temporarily interrupted. Your stream may also be suspended if you receive a copyright infringement warning or for violating the Community Guidelines.
That’s why you rarely see live music on YouTube. At the slightest identification of a copyrighted track, you’re asked to stop the broadcast under threat of account closure, and thus your channel. YouTube isn’t the ideal platform for live music streaming unless you only play royalty-free compositions or original tracks for which you hold the rights.
On Facebook
Like YouTube, there are no contracts for live broadcasting of copyrighted content on Facebook. Contracts exist, but they only cover the use of copyrighted music as background music during live streams of people playing video games on Facebook Gaming. Facebook Gaming is a separate service offered by Facebook for gaming streaming. If you start a stream with copyrighted background music on the main Facebook platform, it’s highly likely to be intercepted and blocked.
If you’re a musician, you may have already encountered this issue. You upload a new video using a backing track in the background while you improvise. A few minutes later, you receive a Facebook alert informing you that the video is blocked in certain countries because it uses copyrighted content. This is really prohibitive because Facebook’s algorithm won’t promote your post, which goes completely unnoticed by your followers.
Currently, regarding music for broadcasts on the main Facebook platform, here’s what’s stated in the Help Center:
Facebook’s Terms of Service do not allow people to post content that violates someone else’s intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark.
Use of commercial music without appropriate clearances could result in the stream being removed from Facebook. This can happen accidentally if your stream includes background music.
Or also on this page regarding the rules for using music on Facebook:
Use of music for commercial or non-personal purposes in particular is prohibited unless you have obtained appropriate licenses. […] if you use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience for yourself or for others, your videos will be blocked and your page, profile or group may be deleted. This includes Live.
The rules in effect on Facebook also apply to Instagram since both platforms are part of the same entity. If you receive an alert for a video or live stream, it applies to both Facebook and Instagram broadcasts.
Conclusion
It seems clear to us that, at the moment, despite numerous DMCA complaints, Twitch remains the best platform for musicians aiming to regularly live stream their music sessions. This platform allows interaction with your community and offers tools to build a following (song lists, emotes, bots, notifications, etc.). Blocks on other platforms are immediate and will prevent you from broadcasting! If you start on Twitch, always stream your music performances in the Music category and disable VODs and clips.
If we’re not talking about regular broadcasts, Facebook and YouTube are interesting options for streaming a one-off concert. However, beware of blocks in case of covers or tracks for which you’ve assigned representation rights for online broadcasts. For example, if you’ve opted for an online distribution platform, platforms like YouTube can’t know you’re the author of the compositions. They may block your stream until you prove you’re the author of the tracks!
For occasional paid concerts with a ticket fee per viewer, StageIt is a good option. It’s also an excellent way to avoid any DMCA or copyright issues since the platform handles everything.
StageIt is free for artists to use! StageIt simply takes a percentage of the show revenue to cover costs associated with your show. Costs include but are not limited to: bandwidth, servers, transaction fees, support and a blanket license with the PROs so that you can legally play “Sweet Home Alabama” or any cover song you want.
Sources and images: Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, StageIt, Unsplash – Caspar Camille Rubin, Nordwood Themes, Solen Feyissa, Zach Bussey
